Malan finds way to tame the GOAT

Dawid Malan's maiden century for England on the opening day of the third Magellan Ashes Test could not have been more timely for the urn-holding tourists.

The 30-year-old came to the middle when his side looked to be in trouble at 3-115 and proceeded to bat beautifully, navigating the fast and bouncy WACA deck with composure well beyond someone playing just his eighth Test match.

What Malan also achieved, along with becoming the first England player to make a century this series, was something no other left-hander has managed: he tamed the Lyon.

Nathan Lyon has done the most damage of any Test cricketer this year, taking 57 wickets, thanks largely to his prolific form on the subcontinent against India (19 wickets in four matches) and Bangladesh (22 in two).

The spinner entered this match seventh on the all-time list of Australian Test wicket-takers, with 280, including 11 English scalps during Australia's recent Gabba and Adelaide Oval victories.

All but one of those 11 victims have been left-handers, and Malan was determined not to fall to him cheaply like he did in the second innings in Brisbane.

"I've always got a plan to off-spinners, but in the first innings at the Gabba (Lyon) bowled fantastically well. There was a lot of turn and he was probably the big difference in the game," Malan said.

"I didn't really stick to my game plans (in the) first innings … and the second innings I felt he bowled me a really good ball to get out.

"The second game at Adelaide Oval I thought, 'I'm just going to do what I do; I'm going to use my feet when I see it go up and if the opportunity's there to sweep or to cut I'll take that'. So I stuck to what I did and I found I could rotate the strike again."

And today – perhaps with a bit of help from the batsmen-friendly pitch – Malan was even more effective facing the man dubbed 'the GOAT'. After approaching him cautiously initially – he scored just three from the first 25 balls Lyon bowled to him – he soon changed gears, taking a stride or two down the pitch confidently to the Australian to stroke boundaries through cover and mid-on, or cutting late when the ball dropped short. By day's end, he had scored 26 from 43 deliveries against the offie, including 23 from the final 18.

"Luckily today it didn't turn at all," he said. "So it was quite nice to feel like when you got yourself in and worked out how he was trying to bowl, and try to get you out, you could get the momentum back to yourself."

The Middlesex product has struggled to find form at the crease throughout the series but on day one reaped immediate rewards when he went out with a different approach.

"In the innings I've had so far I've been in my shell a little bit whereas I walked out today and thought, 'I've got nothing to lose, just go and see the ball, hit the ball and do what comes naturally to you'," Malan said.

"It was my day, things went my way thankfully and I managed to capitalise on that."

With his parents among the sell-out crowd, the milestone innings has filled Malan with much-needed confidence in his ability at the top level.

"I think with anything you do it's the self-belief you need to have, you need to prove to yourself that you do belong and you need to feel like you belong," he said.

"When you do get your 100 or your first five-wicket haul if you're bowling, you have that belief and you can trust your game going into the next game which is key."

Malan will resume day two on 110 alongside Jonny Bairstow, whose unbeaten 74 came after he was promoted to number six ahead of out-of-form Moeen Ali.

By stumps on day one, the pair's partnership reached 174 and resurrected the tourists' shaky start to the match, allowing England fans to dare to dream the series is still alive.

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21